Emergency-door opener.



H. G. OUTWATERP EMERGENCY DOOR OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1913.

Patented 'Aug. 26, 1913.

INVENTOR fW @azmzz/V ATTORNEY WITNESSES JwhW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT G. OUTWATER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EMERGENCY-DOOR OPENER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT G. OUTWA- TER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Riverdale, New York city, New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Emergency Door Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an emergency device for opening doors and more especially to a device of this character whlch may be attached to doors without any material alterations.

One of the objects is to provide a device which will enable the door to be readily opened in cases of. panic due to fire or the like.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be inexpensive and which may be readily attached to any door without rendering a special latch mechanism necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will be positive in operation and which will not be liable to get out of order.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings showing an illustrative embodiment of this invention and in which the same reference numeral refers to similar parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is an elevation of the device parts being shown in section for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is an end view, looking from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in their operative or latch withdrawing position.

In the illustrative embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings 1 indicates a door provided with a latch 2, knob spindle 3 and knob 4 of ordinary construction and forming, in themselves, no part of the invention. The latch may of course be withdrawn, and the door opened, by turning the door knob in the usual manner.

Mounted upon the spindle 3 in any suitable manner is a toothed segment 5 which rotates with the spindle. The teeth of this segment mesh with the teeth of a rack 6 which is mounted to reciprocate in a longitudinal direction within a slot 7 formed in a block 8 which is preferably cylindrical in form and which, as shown in the drawing, is positioned above the spindle 3. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 25, 1913.

Patented A11 26,1913.

Serial No. 756,671.

block 8 is secured to the door 1 in any suitable manner, and is provided at its inner end with a recess 9 within which two coacting members 10 and 11 are located. As shown these members are preferably provided with cam surfaces. The member 10 is secured to the rack 6 and is adapted to move backward and forward therewith within the recess 9, but it is prevented from rotating therein in any suitable manner, as for example by being provided with a groove 12 with which the end of a screw 13 or the like engages. The member 11 is adapted to rotate within the casing, but it is prevented from moving longitudinally and is held within the recess, as for example by a threaded cap 14; The cam members 10 and 11 are not positively connected with one another, thus permitting the rack 6 and its connected cam member 10 to be moved relatively to the cam member 11.

15 represents a rod which extends across the door and which is supported by brackets 16, rotatably mounted upon the door. The bracket 16, which is adjacent to the outer edge of the door is preferably provided at its inner end with a squared projection 17 which extends through a hole 18 in the cap 14 and engages a squared recess 19 in the cam member 11. The corresponding bracket 16 (not shown in the drawing), at the other end of the rod 15 may be rotatably mounted in any suitable manner. As clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the brackets 16 extend downwardly and outwardly from the door, thus permitting the rod and brackets to be moved toward the door.

The operation of the device, which should be largely obvious from the above description, is as follows: When it is desired to open the door in the usual manner the knob may be turned and the latch will be withdrawn. The turning of the knob will, through the toothed segment 5, cause longitudinal movement of the rack 6 and the cam member 10. The cam member 11, the brackets 16 and the rod 15 will of course remain in their normal posit-ion. If for any reason a panic is created, it will be necessary only to press against the rod 15 at any point throughout its length and this pressure upon the rod will cause it to move toward the door. The rotation of the bracket 16 will of course rotate the cam member 11 and as this member rotates it will, through the co-acting cam surfaces,

force the cam member 10 to move outwardly as indicated in Fig. 4t. The outward movement of the member 10 will, through the rack 6 and the segment 5, rotate the spindle 3 thereby withdrawing the latch 2 and allowing the door to open. WVhen the pres sure upon the rod 15 is removed the parts will be restored to their normal positions by means of the usual spring associated with the latch mechanism.

It will be seen from the above description that an emergency device for opening doors is provided which is simple, but positive in its operation, and which may be quickly secured to any door and employed with the usual latch. The only change which is necessary is the mounting upon the spindle 3 of the toothed segment 5 and this of course may be very readily done. It will also be noted that the attachment of the emergency device does not prevent the opening of the door by the knob in the usual manner. There are no complicated parts in vieW of which the device will not get out of order and will, therefore, always be ready for use.

Having described this invention in connection with the illustrative embodiment thereof to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. In combination, a latch, means comprising a knob spindle and a knob for actuating said latch, a toothed member mounted on said spindle, a toothed rack engaging said toothed member, and means for moving said rack to actuate said toothed member whereby said spindle will be rotated to actuate said latch, said knob and knob spin.- dle being free to move independently of said means.

2. In combination, a latch, means comprising a knob spindle and a knob for actuating said latch, a toothed member mounted on said spindle, a toothed rack engaging said toothed member, a cam member connected to said rack, a second "am member operatit ely engaging said first cam member and adapted upon being actuated to move said first cam member, and means to actuate said second cam member, said knob and knob spindle being free to move independently of said means.

In combination, a latch, means comprising a knob spindle and a knob for actuating said latch, a toothed member mounted on said spindle, a toothed rack engaging said toothed member, a cam member connected to said rack and free to move only in a longitudinal direction, a rotatable cam member operatively engaging said first cam member and adapted upon being rotated to move said first cam member and means to rotate said second cam member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HER-BERT G. OUTlVATEI-t.

Vi tnesses ALFRED J. \Vnmearrr, Jos. W. FUELTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

